Dubai: Newly crowned league champions Al Ain have swept the board in the three-man shortlists for the Arabian Gulf League awards with eight nominations.
Al Ain’s Omar Abdul Rahman and Rayan Yaslam are in the hunt for Best Emirati with Al Jazira’s Ali Mabkhout.
Fellow Boss star Marcus Berg is the running for Best Foreigner with Al Wahda’s Sebastian Tagliabue and Al Wasl’s Fabio de Lima.
The Garden City’s coach Zoran Mamic has received a nod in the Best Coach category where he’s up against Al Wahda’s Larentiu Reghecampf and Sharjah’s Abdul Aziz Al Anbari.
No Al Ain players are in the race for Best Newcomer, where Al Wahda’s Mohammad Al Shamsi, Al Jazira’s Mohammad Al Attas and Al Nasr’s Jassim Yaqoub are all contenders.
But, representation is back in the Best Keeper award where Al Ain’s Khaled Eisa takes on Al Wahda’s Mohammad Al Shamsi and Dibba’s Fahd Al Dhanhani.
It is in the Fan’s Player of the Year division where the Boss dominate however, with three nods for Omar Abdul Rahman, Hussain Al Shahat and Marcus Berg.
The shortlists were whittled down through vote from an initial 10 names in each category.
Winners will now be announced at the award ceremony in Abu Dhabi on May 10. Awards based on statistics, not just public opinion, will also be bestowed upon the league’s top scorer.
